8 Tips For Staying Productive At Work During The Holidays

Congratulations, you made it to the holiday season for 2015. We’re about to be in the midst of work parties, shopping sessions, traveling and, of course, eating awesome holiday inspired foods. It truly is a great time of year, but in the business world it has the potential to not be so great. It has been a long year and keeping our focus through this season can be very difficult.

Many of the reasons that we tend to lose focus during this time of year is the fact that everyone’s to-do list hits an all-time high. We are worried about buying gifts, prepping the house, hosting parties, making travel plans and picking out the perfect Christmas tree. It is a lot to handle at times right?

Some of the time it is hard to stay focused because we simply lose the motivation to do so. People take time off work around this time of year and it is difficult if you are not one of those people. For these reasons, here is a complied list of eight tips for staying productive at work during the holiday season. So grab your pen and paper and jot down the tips you think will help you stay focused this holiday season.

Here is the list:

Plan out your schedule: Take some time right now to look at the calendar on your wall and also at your responsibilities and create an iron clade plan for the month of December. After making the plan, communicate that plan with your managers and colleagues.

Avoid multitasking: Work on one project at a time, if you can help it. This will help you stay focused at work and accomplish the things that you planned out. Also do work at work, meaning, try not to plan family items while at work. Save those items for your lunch break.

Don’t take your work home: When you think about the holiday season you don’t think about the stack pf papers on your desk. You think about family and traditions. Don’t take your work home, this time is precious, so use it wisely.

Feel the holiday spirit: Being positive and staying in the “Christmas Spirit” can and will go a long way in keeping your productivity levels high.

Try to NOT over-commit: With family obligations and work obligations we tend to overbook ourselves which inevitably will lead to being unproductive. Again plan out your month and stick to it. Don’t feel like you have to attend every departments Christmas party. Stay focused on a good balance.

Keep simple reminders: Having these little reminders placed where we can see them is critical. I keep a little award I won on my desk and every time I look at it, it reminds me to keep pushing forward and working hard.

Use some PTO: The holiday season isn’t just for everyone else. Take some time off and unplug from work. Use this time that you have earned to be with family, catch up on your personal to-do list and find joyful things to do. And then get back to work with a new sense of vigor.

Take a look forward: The month of January brings with a sense of renewal. Take a little bit of time to plan ahead for the month of January. This will amp up your efforts to stay focused.

These eight tips for staying productive at work during the holiday season are designed for you to find a balance between work and your personal life. Using this tips you will find that you are staying focused and that you still have the time and energy to enjoy this amazing time of year.